Ticks turn routine fall yard work into a health risk

Fall tick prevention still matters as summer winds down, especially in a year when tick encounters have drawn increased national attention. Cooler weekends may change how people use their yards before they change the risks hiding there. 

Tick season does not end with summer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says tick exposure can occur year-round, although ticks are generally most active from April through September. Current guidance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health also identifies spring, summer and fall as active periods for ticks in the United States.

That makes September a transition month for people, but not necessarily for ticks. The timing is especially notable in 2026. CDC data show weekly emergency department visits for tick bites have been higher than usual this year, even as the risk generally begins to decline from its summer peak.

Late summer and fall can also bring large numbers of newly hatched lone star tick larvae in some regions. Sam Telford III, Ph.D., professor of infectious disease and global health at Tufts University, said the larvae typically emerge from August into early October, depending on location and temperature. 

A female may lay 3,500 to 5,000 eggs or more, and when those hatch together, the larvae can gather in a small area before climbing vegetation. Telford said these clusters are “colloquially known as a ‘tick bomb’” and can transfer to a passing animal or person “in the hundreds.” 

Fall cleanup takes homeowners into tick habitat

Many fall chores happen in the same environments where ticks are likely to be found. NIOSH identifies woods, bushes, tall grass and leaf litter as tick habitat. CDC also warns that gardening and spending time in grassy, brushy or wooded areas can bring people into contact with ticks, sometimes without leaving their own property.

Raking accumulated leaves means working directly in leaf litter. Cutting back an overgrown garden means reaching into vegetation, while clearing brush can put homeowners along the less-maintained edges of a property.

Those transition zones deserve particular attention. CDC says fewer blacklegged ticks have been found on well-maintained lawns away from brushy or grassy areas. It recommends creating a 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to discourage contact with the vegetation beyond the lawn. That concern is spreading geographically as blacklegged and Lone Star ticks move into areas where residents may not have historically expected them. 

Tick bites can cause more than Lyme disease

Lyme disease remains the best-known tick-borne illness in the United States. Caused by bacteria transmitted through blacklegged tick bites, most cases can be treated with 10 to 14 days of antibiotics. CDC says people treated appropriately during the early stages usually recover rapidly and completely, although some experience prolonged symptoms afterward. But not every health consequence of a tick bite can be treated with antibiotics.

Alpha-gal syndrome is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergy associated with tick bites. People with this syndrome may react to mammalian meat and other products containing alpha-gal, a sugar found in most mammals. 

Unlike Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome currently has no cure. People manage the condition by identifying and avoiding their individual triggers, preventing additional tick bites and preparing to treat severe allergic reactions when necessary. Other tick species can transmit additional bacterial, viral and parasitic illnesses, making bite prevention the common first line of defense. 

Fall cleanup can also reduce tick habitat

Fall cleanup can both increase short-term exposure and reduce tick habitat. Cleaning up leaves and overgrowth may bring homeowners into tick habitat while the work is underway, but some of those same chores can make frequently used parts of the property less hospitable afterward. 

CDC recommends removing leaf litter, clearing tall grass and brush around homes and lawn edges and mowing grass. Trimming trees and shrubs can also increase sunlight in shady areas, where ticks are more likely to survive.

Removing every leaf from a lawn may not be necessary. Research has failed to show that removing leaves from lawns reduces ticks, according to Joellen Lampman, Tick and School IPM coordinator with Cornell Integrated Pest Management. Where homeowners move those leaves may matter more. 

Lampman pointed to research showing that artificially raking or blowing leaves into a woodland edge can lead to “three times more blacklegged ticks.” Instead, she recommends removing leaves from the property when possible or moving them to an open, lightly used area away from the woods. 

Homeowners who want to preserve habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects have another option. “Areas that you rarely visit can be left alone,” Lampman said. She advises against deliberately piling leaves in those areas unless they are part of a composting system.

Protect yourself before, during and after yard work

Yard changes cannot eliminate every tick encounter, so personal protection still matters while the work is being done. CDC recommends EPA-registered insect repellents and clothing or gear treated with 0.5% permethrin when spending time in areas where ticks may be present. Long pants, long sleeves and covered footwear can also reduce exposed skin.

Once the rake, trimmer or garden tools go back into the garage, the prevention routine is not finished. Telford recommends using repellent and permethrin-treated clothing “until the first frost,” and continuing to use treated clothing during colder months when adult blacklegged ticks may still be active. He also advises nightly tick checks and prompt removal of any ticks found.

Ticks can also hitch a ride indoors on clothing, gear and pets, a risk Telford said is “very much underestimated.” CDC recommends checking all three, showering soon after coming indoors and conducting a full-body tick check.

Areas around the waist, hair, ears, knees, underarms and between the legs deserve particular attention. Clothing can also go into a dryer on high heat to kill ticks that may have hitched a ride inside. Taking a few minutes to check carefully for ticks after working outside may catch one before it stays attached unnoticed.

Spraying alone does not solve the problem

Pesticides can reduce the number of ticks in treated parts of a yard, but CDC cautions against relying on spraying alone to reduce the risk of infection. Treating one part of a property does not eliminate every place a person may encounter a tick.

Fall tick prevention works best as a combination of approaches: reducing favorable habitat in frequently used areas, creating distance from brushy and wooded edges, protecting skin and clothing and checking for ticks after time outside.

The leaves will still need raking, and the garden will still need closing. Although tick exposure generally declines as temperatures cool, it does not disappear with summer, making repellent, protective clothing and a tick check part of fall yard work.

Sage Scott is a patient advocate diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome in 2021. She shares practical guides, recipes and real-world advice for others navigating life with alpha-gal syndrome at Sage Alpha Gal. 

The post Ticks turn routine fall yard work into a health risk appeared first on Food Drink Life.